The Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers squared off in Levi’s Stadium on February 7—and the biggest game of the year is certain felt right at home in the Golden State. California features all sorts of super-size attractions—and no, we're not talking about gigantic orders of french fries or 64-ounce colas. We’re talking about the massively awesome scale of some of California’s top sites: the biggest, the tallest, the hottest, and more. Here are some of our favorite superlative features around the state, listed from north to south in all their epic glory.

Tallest Tree

California’s coast redwoods, growing from the Oregon border south to Big Sur, are the skyscrapers of trees, often reaching over 350 feet. By the latest count, the tallest of all is a giant nicknamed “Hyperion,” towering 379 feet above the ground at a secret location in Redwood National Park. There is no path that leads to the tree—scientists prefer to keep its location under wraps. But you can see other coast redwood giants, including the 368-foot-tall Libby Tree, in the park’s aptly named Tall Trees Grove.

Biggest Collection of Peanuts Comic Strips

How many times did Lucy really pull that football away from Charlie Brown? You’ll get a good sense at this museum created by the widow and family of Charles Schulz, the comic-strip legend behind Snoopy, Linus, and the rest of the Peanuts gang. The museum, in the Sonoma County town of Santa Rosa (where Schulz lived for 30 years, until his death in 2000), includes thousands of original sketches and drawings, Schulz’s personal effects (like his own Charlie-esque baseball mitt), and TV specials on view in the theater; you can also sign up for art classes to learn how to draw cartoons.

Largest Collection of Star Wars Action Figures

Little Han Solos, props used in the actual films, and lots of bubble gum cards. These are just some of the items housed at a ranch—a private collection of more Star Wars memorabilia and props than any other place in the world—in rural Sonoma County, just outside the town of Petaluma. The 9,000-square-foot museum building, once home to over 20,000 chickens during Petaluma’s egg-producing heyday, now showcases vintage arcade games, action figures, models, and more. Private two-hour tours, some led by owner Steve Sansweet (a former Lucasfilm director of fan relations and author or co-author of 17 books on Star Wars) are offered by appointment only; find details here.

America’s Biggest Collection of Rodins

Only Paris has more sculptures by French artist Auguste Rodin than Stanford University, in Palo Alto, about 35 miles south of San Francisco. Its Cantor Arts Center houses 200 pieces (including a cast of The Thinker), and the outdoor Sculpture Garden displays 20 bronze pieces, including The Gates of Hell. You can take free docent-led tours of the entire collection on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Tallest U.S. Waterfall

With a vertical drop of 2,425 feet, this two-tiered cascade in Yosemite National Park is the longest set of waterfalls in North America. To get there, you can take one of the park’s oldest trails: the Yosemite Falls Trail, built in the 1870s. The trail is open year-round, but most would say that the best time to experience it is during spring, when the water is really gushing from snowmelt, with rainbows framing the falls and enough mist to make you thankful you packed a rain jacket.

Biggest Winery in the World

With 80 different labels and 20,000 acres of vineyards scattered through California’s wine regions, the family winery started by two brothers (Ernest and Julio) in 1933, is now the biggest in the world, with $4.1 billion in annual revenue. The company was founded in the Central Valley town of Modesto, but Gallo now owns labels and vineyards statewide. One of the newest is Talbott Vineyards, with estates in the Central Coast’s lovely Carmel Valley, and just east, in the Santa Lucia Highlands south of Salinas. Tasting rooms at each location let you sample Talbott’s Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vintages.

Tallest Mountain in the Lower 48

At 14,505 feet, this Sierra Nevada beast soars higher than any other peak in the contiguous United States. Yes, it’s a giant, but it’s also a nontechnical climb, making it one of the most-bagged summits in the country. It’s just shy of 11 miles up—way up—from the Whitney Portal trailhead, located 13 miles west of the town of Lone Pine. (Find details on required permits here.) For a relatively easy jaunt and great views of the hornlike granite spires topping Mount Whitney, try the five-to-six-mile round-trip hike to Lone Pine Lake. (Starts at Whitney Portal; no permit required.)

Biggest Living Thing

It's not just the most massive tree in the world; it’s the biggest living thing, period. This monster in Sequoia National Park stands 275 feet high—not the world’s tallest, but still a neck-craner. But what makes this tree a record-holder is its girth: The General measures 102 feet around at the base, giving it a volume of a whopping 52,500 cubic feet. It’s also believed to be one of the world’s oldest trees, with estimates ranging from 2,300 to 2,700 years old. Not far from the General Sherman is the equally impressive (but slightly smaller) General Grant Tree, nicknamed the “Nation’s Christmas Tree” and the site of a low-key ceremony at its base held every Christmas since 1925.

Biggest National Park in Continental U.S.

Spreading out over 3.4 million acres, Death Valley straddles the California-Nevada border and is the biggest national park outside Alaska, but it also corners the market on other extremes: It boasts of having had the highest recorded temperature in the world (134° F in 1913), and it’s also got the lowest point in North America (282 feet below sea level at Badwater Basin).

World's Tallest Thermometer

This goofy selfie stop sits right off I-15 in the aptly named desert town of Baker, about two hours south of the main entrance to Death Valley National Park. The working thermometer measures 134 feet tall, and can record temperatures of up to—yes!—134° F, in honor of the hottest temp ever recorded in Death Valley. The thermometer was decommissioned in 2012, but in a triumphant comeback, it was recommissioned on July 10, 2014—the 101st anniversary of the world’s hottest day.

World's Longest Surfboard

With a nickname like “Surf City, USA,” Huntington Beach was a natural site for this record feat of hanging ten. During the summer of 2015, 66 surfers set a world record in the waves at this Orange County beach town. Surfers scrambled atop a 42-foot custom-made surfboard, the longest ever built, and surfed to shore. The goal was to stay on for at least 10 seconds, but the participants from this prime surf culture town were able to hang ten for even longer.

Biggest Outdoor Organ

The enormous Spreckels Organ, with 4,725 pipes, debuted in San Diego’s Balboa Park in 1915. For decades it was the world's largest outdoor organ‚ until it was overtaken by another impressive pipe organ in Kufstein, Austria. But recent donations during the Spreckels’ 2015 centennial have helped add dozens of new pipes, including ones that sound like a tuba, train whistle, and police siren. The result brought the organ’s total to 5,005 pipes—and back into the number one position. On Sunday afternoons year-round, you can hear the organ take a victory lap by way of free concerts.

Regions

Pick a region form the map or the list below to explore.

Regions

Scroll down to explore the twelve regions of California.

1. Shasta Cascade

This region, in California’s northeast corner, is known for mountains, forests, waterfalls, and amazing, safe-to-visit volcanoes. The region, a 3-hour drive north of Sacramento, gets its name from the rugged Cascade Mountains and their signature peak in state, 14,180-foot/4,322-meter Mount Shasta—yes, a volcano.

Highlights

2. North Coast

With crashing waves along the coast and soaring redwood trees blanketing miles of uncrowded parkland, this is one of California’s most spectacular regions. The largest city, Eureka, is roughly a 5-hour drive north of San Francisco—but what a drive: see lush wine country, charming hamlets, spouting whales, and breathtaking sunsets.

Highlights

3. Gold Country

The western foothills of the Sierra Nevada Range, defining California’s eastern border, are known as the Gold Country, named after the rich Mother Lode discovered here in the mid-1850s. While gold is still found in the region, new riches include top museums and art in Sacramento, the state capital, plus whitewater rafting, tucked-away towns, farm-fresh dining, and award-winning wines.

Highlights

4. San Francisco Bay Area

On the western oceanfront of Northern California, at the state’s distinctive bend along the coast, lies this breathtaking region. It’s framed by an unforgettable gateway—the iconic Golden Gate Bridge—spanning the mouth of San Francisco Bay. Explore diverse cities, picturesque hamlets, family-friendly beaches, coastal parklands, and wine country, including Napa and Sonoma wine country, 1½ hours north of San Francisco.

Highlights

5. High Sierra

Nicknamed “California’s backbone,” this region of towering granite peaks defines much of the state’s eastern boundary. Visit Yosemite Valley, Lake Tahoe, Mammoth Lakes, and the giant trees of Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks—all within a day’s drive of either San Francisco or L.A. In winter, enjoy snow sports; in summer, go hiking, mountain biking, fishing, or boating.

Highlights

6. Central Valley

Running right down the middle of California, this broad region contains some of most productive farmland in the world. Wine country around Lodi features big, bold reds. Further south, the Fresno has a lively arts scene.

8. Deserts

This dramatic region takes up the southeastern half of the state. Remarkable desert parklands, including Death Valley, Joshua Tree, and Anza-Borrego, provide an extraordinary chance to explore, while the oasis-like allure of Palm Springs, 3 hours northeast of San Diego, offers sunny resort-style getaways, with golf, tennis, spas, and high-end shopping.

Highlights

9. Inland Empire

This densely populated Southern California region has surprising alpine getaways, like Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead, in the impressive San Bernardino Range. On the region’s sunny east side, explore the inviting Temecula Valley wine region. The university town of Riverside is the region’s largest city. San Bernardino, the second largest city, has museums and impressive shopping, while Fontana has NASCAR racing.

Highlights

10. Los Angeles County

This sunny region along the state’s southern coast is California’s most populated region, best known as the capital of the entertainment industry. Here, movie stars really do work in Hollywood, play in the surf at Malibu, and shop in Beverly Hills. Looping freeways make the car king, but the region also has a surprisingly good network of buses and light rail—a hassle-free way to explore.

Highlights

11. Orange County

Tucked between San Diego and Los Angeles Counties, this region is known for flawless beaches and “the happiest place on earth,” Disneyland Resort. Anaheim, the theme park’s home, offers a surprisingly hip vibe in a refurbished downtown. Newport Beach has dazzling yachts, Huntington Beach has iconic surfing, and Costa Mesa beckons with top shopping.

Highlights

12. San Diego County

This sun-and-surf region is known for some of the best weather and warmest water in the state. San Diego, the state’s second largest city, is home to the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park, one of the world’s great urban parks. For family fun, play at Seaworld San Diego and Legoland California. Inland, discover surprising mountain towns like Julian, known for orchards and apple pie.